Refugee Camps in Ahmad bin Hashim and Rahaliya villages
Eman Ahmad Khammas
http://www.brusselstribunal.org/
We were supposed to leave to Karabla'a, and from there to two
Falluja refugee camps deep in the western desert, at 7 am, but Ahmad
who insisted on accompanying us for protection, showed up at 9.00am.
I was impatient.
-"I had to stay with my family for awhile; there were American
snipers on my roof" he explained…
-What?!!
He told me the story. His wife went up the roof to check the water
tank at 4.30am. For the last three days there was no water in
Baghdad. Families fill their water tanks at night when water is
available some times. It was still dark. On the roof, she was taking
another ladder to go up the attic roof, when she heard a "shshshsh
…" sound. Stunned, she looked in its direction, she could not figure
out what was there, then she realized that there was a man, an
American soldier, heavily armed, pointing his gun at her. Another
voice, whispering, came from the other side of the roof, this time
it was another soldier, a black one. He said some thing in English
and the first soldier put his gun down. He waved to her to go down
silently. She did, but she did not know what to do next. She decided
to wait for a while. Half an hour later she went up again, they were
gone. When she waked up her husband she was still shivering, it took
him two hours to calm her down.
Eid?!!
This is the second day of Eid Aladha (Sacrifice Feast)*. There were
not any of the usual Eid manifestations in Baghdad streets, no
children in new colorful dresses, no traffic jam of jubilant
families celebrating Eid, visiting relatives and friends, going to
parks…etc. The streets were almost empty, except for few quickly
driving cars, Iraqi National Guards pick ups, filled with young men
in black masks pointing their guns in every direction, police cars
and a very long line of American big trucks loaded with tanks and
many humvees and armored vehicles heading north. The streets
themselves were not of Baghdad that we knew. Sand barriers, cement
blocks, burned out and destroyed buildings, with many elections
posters pasted every where. Dr.Intisar, my friend, the pharmacist
with whom I am working on donating medicines and aids for Falluja
refugees, was weeping silently as usual. I remembered that Christmas
and New Year celebrations were canceled too. This is the election
season, which is in Iraq very different from any where else; it is
also the season of extreme insecurity
On the Way
On the way, through what is called now the Triangle of death south
of Baghdad, the situation was worse. Too long queues at the check
points, even longer queues at fuel stations, many ING pick ups
stopping at the road sides, too serious masked men jump quickly and
run in different directions, obviously on a dangerous duty. Some of
them were at the check points handing over elections announcements,
many burned or destroyed cars, walls covered with bullet shot
holes . One of the buildings in Haswa was flattened to the ground; a
new neighboring building was thickly surrounded by 2 meter high sand
barriers." This is the new police station "Abu Hussein, our driver
said "the other one was exploded by cooking gas tubes". He is from
Najaf, and he works on this line long enough to be well-known at the
check points. Some times we were delayed for an American patrol to
pass
Different kind of Refugees
Mr. Mohannad Al-Kinany, the Iraqi Human Rights director, with all
other members, happily volunteered to help us around again. We told
him that we want to see the Falluja refugee camps and the refugees
from the south too. He explained to us the story of the southern
refugees and how badly they are in need of help. Karbala'a
population is around 790.000 thousands, he said, now they are
1.050.000. Over 200.000 refugees came since the 1990s, from Basra,
Nasiriya, the marshes, Amara, and Samawa, over 70.000 came after the
occupation in 2003. "It is a big problem that no one is taking care
of". These refugee communities have become a fertile ground for
crime. We decided to spend the next day in these places.
Ahmad bin Hashim
On the way to Ahmad bin Hashim village (ABH) we passed by Ein Tamor
camp, to greet them for the Eid and to give them the medicines that
they asked for two weeks ago when we visited them last time.
Ahmad bin Hashim is the name of a grandson of Imam Mosa Al-Kadhim or
Imam Al-Hassan (both are of the 12 imams in Islam who are
descendants of the Prophet Mohammad family). It has been a sacred
place where people visit to get the blessings in a kind of
pilgrimage. It is a very beautiful calm village west of Razzaza
lake. The villagers built rows of big rooms for pilgrims coming from
far away places. These rooms are now the Falluja refugee camps
Cultural Crime
Near ABH there is also an unexcavated historical site that goes
back to about 4000 years. It was protected by the Iraqi police and
the Tourism State Institute before the occupation. Mohannad told us
that this very culturally precious site was looted after the
invasion, and that the Iraqi HRW in Karbala'a has documented
everything on tapes. He told us how looters attacked the place, dug
the tombs and stole what ever was buried there of historical
jewelry, beads and household properties... The place is buried again
now by tons of sand for protection, we could see the large freshly
covered area on the foot of a big castle called the Berthaweel
Castle in the middle of the desert
Roofed Walls
There are 18 Falluja families living in the ABH pilgrims' rooms. The
majority of them were from Jolan district in Falluja, which was
heavily bombed last October. As expected, there is no electricity,
no clean water, to bathrooms in the pilgrim's rooms. Mohannad who
owns a hotel in Karbala'a offered his hotel free to these families,
but they preferred to stay near the shrine. Ten other hotel owners
in Karbala'a did the same. These relatively wealthy people and
others formed a group called the Karbala'i Group to collect and
donate aid to the Falluja refugees here and in other places. It is
another example of the Iraqi people unity between Shiite and Sunnis.
The rooms are very primitive, just roofed walls. Falluja women kept
them very clean and tidy, although the rooms were used for sleeping,
cooking, washing and living. The most needed thing here is medical.
The sick and the old are most hurt, and of course women because they
have to run everything in this too difficult environment.
Abdulrahman Khalaf, for example, suffers from chronic schizophrenia
that goes back to his years in the Iranian POW camps in the 1980s.
He is married, has 6 children, and very friendly. His only
abnormality is repeating himself many times.
-"I am the honored one, I am the honored one, I am the honored one,
I am the….." He repeated at least 8 times, replying to Sami of the
Iraqi HRW when he said "I am honored to meet you".
He was repeating the number 50, tens of times. I felt so ashamed of
myself when I thought he was asking for $50, because his relatives
explained that he needs Modicate injections/50 m, and that was what
he was asking me. They showed me his chronic diseases card; he used
to get his medications from Falluja hospital free, as all Iraqis who
have chronic illnesses used to in the past. Not any longer. I
promised to bring him the medicine as soon as I can get them from
Baghdad
Solution rather than Aid
Aalaa' Hussein, 6 years, suffers from hemiplegia; She looks ok
except for her left leg which was shorter and slack. Naufa Hamza,
awoman in her70s, suffers from joints pain. Tilba Ali, another old
woman who does not know her age, 60 or 70, she said, suffers from
diabetes. Sahira Ali, 35, suffers from hormone abnormality; she
keeps on getting fatter and fatter. She also suffers from chronic
diarrhea, "because of the water" she explained. Dr.Intisar saw them
all and promised to send the medicines. Ahmad was busy giving the
children some toys donated by the American Families for Peace
delegation. I tried to take some pictures of the children, but a
young tall man, dashed in, and threatened to beat one of the young
girls who joined the others for the picture
"What kind of help is this, just for the media, I know your kind" he
was talking to me.
"I understand your feelings very well" I replied, and did not take
the picture. "Please do not beat her, here is my camera, I did not
take the picture". He left silently, giving me a very angry look.
Other men apologized, and invited us for lunch.
UN Silence Unacceptable
I did understand his feelings; at many times I feel the bitter
humiliation these people feel. They do need aid, but what they need
more is a solution to their problem. They are not beggars. They used
to have their houses, jobs, lives and every thing. May be they were
not rich, but they were dignified. Everyone said that they want to
go back to Falluja. This is a big human rights violation that must
be investigated, accounted for, and compensated. International
organizations, especially the UN, should give this problem the
utmost priority. The occupation is responsible for their misery.
Silence, justifications, excuses are totally unacceptable. All the
human rights, political, medical, law, journalists,
teachers….organizations all over the world should not keep silent to
these crimes
Rahaliya Refugee Camps
Rahaliya is a village on the borders of Anbar. Mohannad told us that
there are at least 150 families here. I realized that I am in a big
problem. I can hardly cover 30 families
, and by covering I mean giving them a gift for Eid Al-Adha. We
decided to visit 3 camps where there are many families. There were
two schools and a clinic where such camps are, again promising
ourselves and the others to try to come back. In the first school,
Al-Waha Al-Khadra (the Green Oasis) which is a boys' high school, 15
Falluja families live, each one(or more) in a class room, the
teachers', and the director's. The director's story is interesting.
When the refugees came last summer, he decided to give them the
school except his room where he kept the files, books and documents.
In the last minute a woman came with her children, she had no place
to stay in, he gave her the room. The school time table is still
hanging on her stove, the books piled under the mattresses. The
desks are piled in the unpaved yard, on which children clothes are
hanged now to dry.
-"What about the students?!" was my question.
-" there are no schools in all the cities of the Anbar governorates
this year, the students just had mid-year exam formally, the boys in
the yard and the girls in one class room"
-"what about other schools?" I insisted
-" it is the same in the majority of Anbar schools". Children
gathered near the desks pretending to be very polite to get Ahmad's
toys. Their naughty eyes exposed every thing. Sami, Dr Intisar and
Ahmad were very happy with them, asking for more and more pictures.
Beida'a, Iqbal, Amaal, Sajida, Haala, Montaha, Aziza, Um Sofian,
Sundos... and others were young women and mothers running the camp.
They were heroines, simply, doing an extraordinarily amazing job
keeping life going on as smoothly as possible. Cleaning, cooking,
making fires, washing, baking bread, and taking care of the
children. But Sami was unhappy. He asked Sundos who was a teacher"
why did not you open a class for these children?" she was
embarrassed, "this is a good idea", she replied" I will think about
it"
When Sajida talked, dr.Intisar could not help her tears. Sajida is a
very beautiful girl in her early 20s. She suffers from some kind of
brain damage that made it difficult for her to speak normally. She
lives in a room with her mother who sells petty things on the street
side. Thier room was destroyed. Sajida made a great effort to tell
us how her glass dishes, cups and other small belongings were
smashed
Medical Needs
I asked Ghazi Mnachid, an assistant doctor in Rahaliya clinic about
the situation. "Very bad" was his reply, "we need medicines" and he
gave me a long list of most needed medicines. The majority were
children's. Cold, fever, antibiotics, skin, intestinal worms…etc.
The most dangerous thing is that there are no vaccines in the
clinic. This village is in danger of a health catastrophe if this
problem is not solved soon.
All the women agreed that the bathroom is most difficult thing. The
toilets were more than 50 meters away from the nearest class room;
mothers have to take children all this distance in the cold at
night. With no electricity, no water, no fuel, it is almost a
miracle that women can manage to take care of the children, and keep
so clean and tidy rooms. "You should see the well we dug behind the
school, you would not believe it" Iqbal Abdulla , 29, a mother of 5,
said. Some times women go to a brook outside the village to wash in
cleaner water
Night in the Camp
"It is almost 5" Mohannad said, "we need to go back to Karbala'a
now, it is becoming too dangerous now"
"I am staying here. I need to listen to these women, I need to see
how they live here" I said. Dr. Intisar, Ahmad and Sami exchanged
glances. Dr.Intisar pulled my arm and took me a side "these people
can barely manage their food and supplies, you are embarrassing
them". Falluja people are well-known for their extreme hospitality;
they would do any thing to make the guest comfortable. Actually
there are many jokes on there almost illogical hospitality. We had
some food, but we know that it is almost a crime even to show your
food while you are in a Falluja house. I know that Dr.Intisar was
right.
"I can just put my head on my arm and sleep, I do not need any
thing, you go if you want" I insisted again. Sami was the first to
approve and support.
"I am not leaving you alone here" Dr. Intisar said. Ahmad and the
driver had nothing else to say.
We decided to go to the clinic first, then to visit the Refugee
houses. We had plenty of time to talk.
"Dinner is going to be here" said Mohammad Abdulla, a taxi driver
who is unemployed now.
"No, dinner is at my place" Ghazi objected, referring to the clinic
camp.
"Listen, we are here to work, let us finish the job, and then see
what we can do about dinner invitations" I said.
The Clinic
Many men gathered to talk to us in the Diwaniya (guest room for
men). Beautiful mattresses and pillows were layed on the ground for
us to sit on.
"Why do not you ask the women to join us?" I asked, although I know
that women do not share such men gathering in Falluja. "May be you
can talk to them later" replied Ggazi.
They began to tell their stories. The houses which were bombed,
burnt, looted and occupied…
"What do mean by occupied" I asked the speaker.
"Our house is occupied now by the American troops, it is now a
headquarter for one battalion"
"Which one?"
"I do not know. But the Iraqis are down stairs and the Americans are
on the second floor. Actually they took the neighboring house too,
and opened the wall between the two houses. It is not a house any
more. It is surrounded by barbed wires, the aerials on the roof; we
can not even go near"
"What did you do?"
"I went to them; I asked them to give me back my house, an Iraqi
captain said this is impossible, I asked what am I going to do, he
replied: go wherever you want to go. My mother does not want to give
up. She goes there every day; sits in front of the house til the
afternoon, just looking at her house."
Another man sitting in the room laughed and said" prepare your self,
you are going to be arrested tomorrow"
-"are there any foreigners fighting in Falluja?
-"even if there are, how do we know! They do not go around saying we
are foreign fighters. The majority are Fallujans defending their
houses. Many of them were killed guarding their homes. There are
bodies till now in some places like Alqudoos mosque, many injured
people were shot in the head, and few injured peopl
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